In Your Loving Arms
by BlueBlood82
Summary: When Eddie experiences a tough call on the job, it's up to her husband to make things better.
Jamie had a short day and went home early not expecting to see Eddie's car in the driveway of their newly acquired home in Astoria, Queens. He parked the Mustang and walked inside. Jamie expected Eddie would be watching TV or in the kitchen but she wasn't doing either, she was sitting on the couch sobbing/

Jamie rushed over to her, "Eddie? Are you all right?"

Eddie looked up at Jamie, that's when he noticed she had dried blood all over her. Eddie turned to Jamie and flung herself at him.

Jamie caught her, "Eddie, Eddie who hurt you? Where are you hurt?"

"Nowhere, "she sobbed. "Not me."

Jamie held her tighter, "Tell me what happened."

Eddie tried but it only came out as sobs. Jamie gave up for the time being and held Eddie on his lap. His phone rang loudly.

He sighed "Reagan."

"Jamie, I need you to come back," Renzulli said. "There was a 10-13 with a cop shot, we need all hands…"

"I can't," Jamie replied. "I came home to Eddie hysterical and I still don't know what's wrong, she's crying too hard to tell me"

"Jamie, I understand you have family commitments, but duty first, always, you know that," Renzulli said trying not to be cross.

Jamie sighed "Yes sergeant," he said looking down at Eddie who was still beyond hysterical in his arms

He took a breath, "I'm sorry, I cannot leave her and please don't suggest calling Linda or Erin or anyone else. This is my job, until I know what happened to her and why...I'm a husband first, I'm sorry."

"Jamie," Renzulli sighed but if the kid who was all about duty was saying no, there was something to it. "Okay, call if you need anything"

"Thank you," he said and hung up. "Let's get you clean up okay? I can call Linda if…"

"I don't want to see anyone," Eddie replied, trying to hide in his arms.

"Okay, you can be alone, that's okay," he crooned to her as the phone rang again.

"Reagan," Jamie barked.

"Oh hi Jamie, this is Trey, is Eddie home yet? Did she make it okay?"

"Yeah she's here, she's really upset." Jamie was thankful for the call from Eddie's partner. "What happened?"

"Bad call," he replied. "Banger's little brother got caught in the drive by, it was a no go from minute one but for the family and we do all we can do when we knew it was hopeless Eddie just picked the little guy up and held him, I think he thought she was his Mommy. He was gone before the bus got there."

Jamie sighed, now he understood why she was so upset. They had been trying for a baby for almost two years and had not been successful. Two of the attempts that resulted in pregnancies, ended in miscarriage. That had taken a toll on his usually strong wife. "Okay, thanks."

"No problem, tell I asked for her okay?" he sked then hung up.

Eddie sobbed, "No..."

"What sweetheart?" Jamie asked softly.

"Don't leave me, don't' please." Eddie was sure the call was from his CO after he had excused himself with Renzulli and her husband would be leaving her.

"I'm not," Jamie soothed. "I'm not going anywhere honey, calm down. It's okay"

"They want you to go back to work."

"No, no sweetie that was just Trey checking on you," Jamie reassured her. "He's worried about you honey."

"It wasn't Renzulli?" she asked.

"No," he assured her but she only cried harder but this was out of relief. After what she saw and did today she did not want her Jamie to go back to the danger, she knew he'd have to go back, just not that day.

Jamie just sighed and held her. Eddie only did this once before in their entire relationship, but when sh did it, it was hard to handle. "Let's get you clean up." Jamie stood up and lifted Eddie. "Just hold onto my neck and be still."

Eddie nodded and let Jamie carry her to the bathroom.

Jamie laid her on their bed and made a bath of lavender soap and warm water. He went back for her and started taking off her clothes. She let him then reached up for him to pick her back up, she was so distraught, the little boy must have done a number on her for his Eddie to be so emotional.

"It's all right, I've got you," Jamie whispered and put her into the bath. He got on his knees next to her and started to soap her up gently. "Just lie back in the bath. Trust me?"

Eddie nodded and just let Jamie handle things. "That's my girl," he told her and fully concentrated on bathing her. "Did I ever bathe you before?" he asked trying to get her to speak.

"Yeah," Eddie replied quietly, her voice shaking.

"When? I don't remember?" He dipped the sponge and washed her arms up and down, the blood soaked through her uniform onto her skin.

"After Price and that car accident when I was too sore to move," Eddie replied, her voice had not gone above a whisper at all. "We weren't even dating but I was so dirty and gross. You made me wear bathing suit."

"And we stayed in the water together a couple hours," Jamie recalled as he gently washed her hair. "Are you ready to talk about it?"

"That little boy thought I was his mother," Eddie confessed. "He was begging me to help him"

Jamie nodded, "Want out?" He didn't know what to do for her.

She nodded "Getting cold."s

"Can you walk or you want to be held?"

"Hold me," Eddie replied. She still couldn't shake the images.

Jamie lifted her out of the tub, put his sweats on her and laid with her in his arms. "If you were his mother, he'd be a very lucky little boy."

She smiled but that was short lived and soon she was crying again thinking of the two babies of theirs in Heaven.

"He was shot?" Jamie asked. "I know how that is, I've seen it, I've done it, the little ones run up and you try...you try but...you fail sometimes."

"I failed big time," Eddie cried. "I should have been able to keep him alive until the bus got there."

"That much blood, God himself couldn't have saved that boy, Eddie," Jamie said honestly.

"I'm done Jamie," she said sobbing. "I can't do it anymore"

"Eddie you have to," Jamie encouraged. "You have to baby, you help so many people."

"I'm not cut out for it anymore," Eddie sighed.

"Yes you are," he said. "So you lost someone and yes it was a child and yes that isn't fair but if not for you, Eddie, who'd have held him, who'd have loved him in those last minutes when he wanted his Mommy so badly and she couldn't be there but you were and he died in peace because of you."

Jamie's words made sense to Eddie, but she couldn't admit it yet. She burrowed into his arms, "I just want to sleep."

"Sleep, I'll be here, you sleep." He hummed a little nonsense tune.

Eddie never did fall asleep though, she laid in his arms and just looked at him, she looked so sad and fragile; it hurt Jamie to see her in so much pain.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you more," he said cuddling her. "You going to quit?"

She sighed "No, I was just blowing off steam you know?"

Jamie smiled, "That's my..." The bell rang and distracted them.

Eddie groaned "I don't want to see anyone, please ask Linda to go away."

"I'll get it." Jamie went and opened the door a very distraught young woman. "Is this where she lives?"

"Excuse me?" Jamie asked getting his back up again to defend his wife. "Who are you looking for ma'am?"

"Eddie, with blonde hair," she said. "They said she lived here. I'm Lisa, Lisa O'Donnell, it was my boy she was with today."

"Yes, this is Eddie's house. How did you find this address?"

"Asked around about a female cop named Eddie, that wasn't too hard. I'm sorry to bother you," she said.

Jamie asked Lisa in, asked her to sit down and brought a glass of water before going to call his wife.

"Eddie, you have a visitor."

She sighed "I don't want to see anyone."

"You want to see her," Jamie replied. "She's had a worse day than you did."

"Who is it?" she asked getting up and going to the living room.

"Mrs. O'Donnell," he replied. "Asked for you by name."

Eddie sighed and went to see her.

Jamie had the young mother seated on the sofa with a glass of water, she stood when Eddie came into the room.

"Mrs. Reagan, I wanted to come by and thank you again for what you did. My son would have died alone if not for you being there."

Eddie shook her head, "It's what I do, what any of us would have. You are very welcome though, I only wish I was able to do more."

"He is at peace now."

"Ma'am, is your husband NYPD too?" Jamie knew that was the only way that any cop would have revealed their home address.

"Yes," she replied. "He works out of the 9-8."

"Okay," Jamie said and sat down. "My wife and her partner have indicated this shooting was gang related, is that true?"

She nodded

"The PD has programs, Ma'am, ways of intervening with kids caught up in the crap, ways of helping them and their family to get free of it, I'd like to offer you that kind of help right now."

Lisa nodded. "My husband is too ashamed to admit…Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Jamie nodded, "After the services, I will personally come to the house, speak to your husband and escort your older son to our treatment facility."

"Jamie!" Eddie said like he'd gone insane.

Jamie ignored her for the moment, "You need anything, my cell number and precinct are on here." he gave her his business card and walked her out her car.

Eddie was standing with her arms crossed when he came back inside, she was not happy.

"What Eddie, that woman lost her son, I don't want her to lose another one!"

"And I don't want to lose my husband!" she snapped

"How?" He had no idea why she was so upset.

"Getting involved with that crap is dangerous! You have to on the street, you don't have to volunteer for it!"

"I can't stand back and do nothing!" Jamie replied. "If something happened to that kid cause of this garbage while I sat back and did nothing how do you think I'd live with myself when I know I can help him!"

Eddie sighed and walked away into their bedroom.

Jamie was angry and now he was hurt after he held and comforted her. He followed her. "You know me better than that Eddie! You know I have to help that kid, you know it! If you want someone who'll just sit back and watch find another husband because this one won't be party to that!"

Eddie didn't reply, just stood there.

Jamie left her to stand and gape at him, he turned on the television and watched.

"Jamie...I'm sorry okay just please be careful, "she begged.

Jamie turned off the television, "Always. The last thing I want is to leave you behind for anything, but Eddie, baby, I have to do this. You had to try to save that little boy even though you knew it was hopeless, and I have to try to save this older boy because I know it isn't." He kissed her knows, "Feel up to getting some ice cream?"

She nodded "Yeah, let's go"

He held her hand and snuggled her the entire trip in the Mustang. Jamie wished they lived in a world where a warm bath and an ice cream cone made everything better but he knew better, he also knew that for right now, he has his wife, his world, in his loving arms, safe and sound. That would have to be enough for today, for tomorrow, and until their efforts managed to make their world a better place.


End file.
